Convertible rack.



W. H. WBBLER. CONVERTIBLE RACK. APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,.1910.

Patented June 13, 1911.

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Inventor I I I Attorneys WILLIAM H. WEBLER, OF SODUS CENTER, NEW YORK.

CONVERTIBLE RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1911.

Application filed July 11, 1910. Serial No. 571,463.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WEBLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sodus Center, in the county of WVayne and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Convertible Back, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible racks and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a rack adapted to be used upon a wagon running gear and which may be easily and quickly converted from a rack adapted to hold hay, straw and the like into one adapted to retain live stock, etc.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a top plan view of the convertible rack. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, the dotted lines indicating a position at which the side extension of the rack may be braced. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the rack showing the side extension at one edge thereof in vertical position and the side extension at the other edge in inclined position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a detachable ladder which may be used in combination with the rack. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a partition which may be used between the side boards of the rack at points intermediate their ends. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the cleats adapted to be used for holding the intermediate partitions in position.

The convertible rack consists of a bottom or floor 1 having side boards 2 erected upon their edges at the side edges of the same. End sills 3 are located under the forward and rear ends of the bottom 1 and intermediate sills 4 are located under the intermediate portion of the said bottom 1. The end portions of both of the sets of sills 3 and 4 project to a sufficient extent beyond the side edges of the bottom 1. A standing board 5 is supported at its ends upon the intermediate sills 4. Upon the outer surfaces of the side boards 2 two sets of clips are located, one set indicated at 7 being positioned directly above the projecting end portions of the end sills 3 and the other set indicated at 8 being positioned directly above the projecting end portions of the intermediate sills 4. Parallel cleats 9 are located upon the inner sides of the side board 2 in the vicinity of the end thereof, and the cleats 9 at the forward end of the side board 2 are adapted to receive between them the edge portions of a head gate 10 while the cleats 9 at the rear ends of the side board 2 are adapted to receive between them the end portions of a tail gate 11. Draw rods 12 extend transversely across the front and rear ends of the wagon rack and also pass through the side board 2 and are provided at one end with clamping nuts 13. Horizontal clips 14 are located upon the forward and rear sides of the head and tail gates, respectively, and inclined clips 15 are similarly positioned upon the said gates. Cleats 16 are located upon the inner surfaces of the side board 2 and each cleat 16 is provided with an undercut recess 17. The recess 17 0f the cleat at one side of the rack is directly opposite the recess 17 of the cleat 16 at the opposite side of the rack. In combination with the body of the rack, bracing partitions are provided and by swinging the said partitions horizontally, the ends of the said partitions may be projected into the undercut recesses 17 of the cleat 16 at the opposite sides of the rack. The said bracing partitions 18 are provided upon their upper edges with blocks 19 which in turn are provided with inclined edges 20. Clips 21 are carried by the bracing partitions 18 and extend over the intermediate portion of the blocks 19 and are approximately at right angles to the inclined edges 20"of the said block.

In combination with the body of the rack as above described side and end extensions are adapted to be used and the side extensions consist of stakes 22 which are connected together by means of parallel slats or bars 23. The end extensions consist of stakes 24 which are connected together by means of parallel slats or bars 25. lVhen it is desired to use the rack for the purpose of transporting live stock, the lower portions of the stakes 22 are inserted through the clips 7 and 8 upon the outer surfaces of the side boards 2 so that the lower ends of the stakes 22 rest upon the projecting ends of the sills 3 and 4 and the lower ends of the intermediate stakes 22 are snugly received between the outer surfaces of the side boards 2 and the inner edges of the standing board 5. Also the lower ends of the stakes 24 are projected down through the clips 14 upon the head and tail gates 10 and 11 and the lower ends of the said stakes i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 24: rest directly upon the end portions of the bottom 1 of the rack. Thus the side and end extensions of the rack are supported in vertical posit-ions and the rack may be conveniently used for transporting stock from place to place. When however, it is desired to use the rack for the purpose of transporting hay, straw or the like, the bracing partitions 18 are engaged with the recesses 17 of the cleats 16 in the manner as above described and the lower end portions of the stakes 22 are projected through the clips 15 carried by the end boards and the clips 21 carried by the said bracing partitions. Thus the side extensions at the opposite side edges of the rack will he sup ported in synclinal relation and will pro ject to some extent beyond the outer surfaces of the side boards 2 of the body of the rack. When the rack is used for the purpose of carrying hay or straw as indicated, it is desirable to have a supporting means at the front and rear ends thereof, and in the present instance, provision for such supporting means is made in the form of a ladder 26 having at its lower end hooks 2'7 which are adapted to engage eyes 28 located upon the bottom 1 of the body of the rack in the vicinity of the front and rear ends thereof. When the hooks 27 are engaged with the said eyes the ladder may lean in forward and rear directions over the front and rear gates 10 and 11, respectively. Therefore it will be seen that when the parts are assembled so that the rack is es pecially adapted to carry hay or grain, the side and end extensions converge toward each other at their lower and rear edges and consequently the rack is adapted to hold a vast quantity of material.

Having described the invention what I Patent is A rack comprising a bottom, side boards located upon the bottom, sills located under the bottom and having end portions which project beyond the outer surfaces of the side boards, clips mounted upon the outer surfaces of the side boards and located vertically above the projecting end portions of the sills, cleats mounted upon the inner surfaces of the side boards and having undercut recesses, the recesses of the cleats at one of the side boards being directly opposite the recesses of the cleats at the other side board, a head gate adapted to be interposed between the forward ends of the side boards, a tail gate adapted to be interposed between the rear ends of the side boards, clips located upon said head and tail gates, bracing partitions adapted to be received at their ends by the undercut recesses of the said cleats, said bracing partitions having at their upper portions inclined edges, clips mounted upon said bracing partitions and extending over the inclined edges thereof, side extensions having stakes adapted to be received by the clips upon the outer surfaces of the side boards and when so received adapted to have their ends bearing against the projecting portions of the sills and said stakes also adapted to be received by the clips upon the head and tail gates, and the clips upon the said bracing part-itions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. W'EBLER.

WVitnesses:

FREDERICK W. KLUMPP, HENRY H. PEELER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

